Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), which in general include miniaturizations of various electrical and mechanical components, are produced by a variety of materials and manufacturing methods, and are useful in a wide variety of applications. These applications include automotive electronics, medical equipment, and smart portable electronics such as cell phones, Personal Digital Assistants, (PDA) hard disk drives, computer peripherals, and wireless devices. In these applications, MEMS may be used as sensors, actuators, accelerometers, switches, micro-mirrors and many other devices.
MEMS are used for use in temperature sensors to measure temperature or applications where they need to be heated and emit infra-red light. In such applications, MEMS structure may need to respond quickly and accurately to a heating signal. In some applications, the signal may require a quick cooling after a heating cycle. Various attributes that may be taken into design consideration include, for example, thermal response, geometry and temperature sensitivity. Joule heating is often used in MEMS structure where heat is produced as a result of current flowing through the structure. Energy is dissipated across the resistance of the structure that results in heat dissipation. In a MEMS structure, a heating element is often suspended in a cavity to achieve thermal isolation. The heating element may also exhibit actuation and emit infra-red light based on the current flow through the heating element.